It’s never too early to start planning roster changes for the New England Patriots in 2026. One of the most effective ways to enhance the team is through the NFL Draft.

As the Patriots continue to excel on the field, they may find themselves selecting late in the first round. However, New England still has the opportunity to uncover valuable talent in that position.

New England could look to upgrade its receiving core, and USA Today NFL reporter Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz predicted the Patriots to draft Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston at No. 28.

“Drake Maye is hardly hurting in the...

The New England Patriots should have no problem taking care of business against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football — which would help accomplish more than just burying a division opponent.

Drake Maye can lap the field in the race for NFL MVP.

Maye (+275) had the second best odds of anyone at DraftKings Sportsbook on Wednesday, barely trailing Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (+260) but sitting well ahead of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+500) and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (+550).

It’s an understandable order considering where each player stands in the pantheon...

The New England Patriots will be down four on Thursday night.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, tight end Austin Hooper and linebacker Christian Elliss have been ruled out for the AFC East meeting with the New York Jets.

Here’s the rest of the game statuses heading into the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.

OUT

Patriots

• RB Rhamondre Stevenson (toe)
• WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring)
• TE Austin Hooper (concussion)
• LB Christian Elliss (hip)

Jets

• WR Garrett Wilson (knee)
• CB Azareye’h Thomas (concussion)

Stevenson has now been ruled out...

The New England Patriots are short staffed on a short week.

New England ruled out four players prior to its matchup with the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football — running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe), wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring), tight end Austin Hooper (concussion) and linebacker Christian Elliss (hip).

Stevenson, Boutte and Elliss were also absent from Sunday’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the former slated to miss his third consecutive game.

New York ruled out a pair of its own prior to the contest in Foxboro, Mass. — wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) and cornerback...

The New England Patriots still don’t know if starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson will return from his two-game toe injury absence in Week 11 on “Thursday Night Football” vs. the New York Jets.

When Stevenson does eventually make his way back, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the former fourth-round draft pick will be reinstated as the team’s primary ball carrier.

Rookie second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson has started the last two games for the Patriots, racking up 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

“Once Stevenson is back, I do expect him to reclaim his former role as the Patriots’...

Rob Gronkowski wanted to end his career where it began.

That led to the three-time Super Bowl champion signing a ceremonial one-day contact on Wednesday to retire a member of the New England Patriots.

“This means a lot to me, big time, because I’m a New England Patriot. I’m a Patriot for life,” Gronkowski said. “My career started here, and 100 percent needed to end here. There’s no doubt about that.”

Gronkowski and the organization had previous plans to sign a one-day contract before the tight end eventually enters the team’s Hall of Fame. Those plans changed to allow Gronkowski...

Move over, Travis Hunter, there is a new two-way player in the NFL worth talking about. It’s a 335-pound defensive tackle who has recently started bulldozing people out of the way as a fullback.

We are, of course, talking about the New England Patriots’ Khyiris Tonga.

For the last two weeks, Tonga has been helping out on offense as a big-bodied lead blocker in the run game. While playing only nine total snaps and still adjusting to life on the other side of the ball, he has had an active hand in some big plays — including TreVeyon Henderson’s 69-yard...

You already had to squint to see any chance of the Jets upsetting the Patriots on Thursday night. Now, you won’t see any at all.

On Wednesday, New York ruled out star receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Azareye’h Thomas for the Week 11 matchup in New England. Wilson, arguably the Jets’ best player, is nursing a knee injury, whereas Thomas is dealing with a concussion.

The Jets already were without defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner, both of whom were traded earlier this month. But the loss of Wilson will leave New York with virtually no star power,...

When the New England Patriots selected TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft, they were hoping to get a home run hitter at the running back position. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, the rookie was just that: Henderson scored touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards and played a pivotal role in his team’s 28-23 victory.

Finishing with those two scores and a total of 147 rushing yards on the day, that game was the best of Henderson’s young career. The fact that he got a chance to operate as New England’s lead back, however,...

The vibes surrounding the New England Patriots are high, and understandably so. A lot has gone right for the team on the field, but on Wednesday, a long-overdue development involving legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski took place off the field.

Last week, Gronkowski revealed that he would be signing a one-day contract with the Patriots so that he could officially retire as a member of the team he broke into the NFL with. The team held a ceremony for the event as a tribute to all Gronkowski accomplished during his time with the Pats.

Known for his boisterous personality, Gronkowski...

There weren’t many reasons to get fired up over mic’d-up Patriots content the last few years. Sure, the videos were interesting, but there are only so many ways to sell watching a terrible product.

Obviously, this year is different. New England will enter Thursday night’s home game against the Jets in sole possession of first place in the AFC East with an 8-2 record. Following last Sunday’s road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many believe the Patriots are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

So, the mic’d-up videos hit differently now. And that trend continued this week with a pair of...

Rob Gronkowski signed a one-day contract with the New England Patriots to officially retire as a member of the team on Wednesday.

Gronkowski is a future Hall of Famer and is one of the best players in franchise history. He spent nine seasons with the Patriots, and the team posted a small message for the legendary tight end on X.

“Thank you Gronk,” the team’s social media account wrote in all caps.

Gronkowski was a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All-Pro with the Patriots. He was also a key member of two championship teams with New England. He retired...